Media Services

Constantly connected: Continental is shaping the future of mobility

26/02/2018

Continental will be unveiling innovative solutions and services at the Mobile World Congress

The Middle East is well placed to take advantage as the technology sector develops

Middle East, February 26, 2018. Continental, the premium tire and automotive manufacturer, is shaping the transformation of effectively turning cars into mobile devices. The company will demonstrate its latest automotive technology, enabling cars to be connected at all times, whether for phone calls, music streaming or keyless access, at a world premiere during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) at the end of February in Spain.

Starting this year, every new car in Europe will have to be equipped with an integrated SIM card enabling vehicles to make an emergency call at any time. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the UAE has made significant inroads into the connected car sector, as the national telecommunications company, Etisalat, initiated the region’s first connected car deployment, installing small devices into cars, connected via a SIM card. A number of countries in the region have recently revealed long term economic plans including a heavy focus on diversification, whereby governments and investors are increasingly investing in a number of sectors – including technology.

“Smartphones, tablets and now cars –vehicles will soon be part of the connected world, and will have to blend seamlessly into users’ daily digital routines. We will demonstrate that having a seamless online connection and comprehensive cyber security is just as important as ensuring trouble-free integration of mobile devices and intuitive operation,” commented Helmut Matschi, member of the Executive Board at Continental and head of the Interior division.

A glimpse into the future: predictive connectivity

Continuous and high-quality mobile network coverage is crucial for drivers wanting to expand their digital lifestyles to the domain of driving. With many regions, including certain areas of the Middle East, still plagued by low bandwidths and high latency; broken off phone calls and interrupted music streaming are not uncommon. Continental has developed a predictive connectivity manager, which collects data on the network quality via crowdsourcing and uses this data to create a map of available mobile networks and their quality.

Based on the results the software can, for instance, notify drivers that their current phone calls will be terminated and advise them when the network quality will be good enough again to continue the call.

No connectivity without security

To ensure sufficient system security as digitalization advances, Continental’s subsidiary Elektrobit – with its new family member Argus Cyber Security – is delivering multilayer end-to-end automotive cyber security solutions and services. These include intrusion detection and prevention, attack surface protection, health monitoring and management to safeguard the cyber security of vehicle fleets as well as wireless software updates.